THE Grey River Argus. THURSDAY, JANUARY 13, 1869.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 622, 13 January 1870, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. THURSDAY, JANUARY 13, 1869.

Those of our reader-3 who have ever resided in Paris, or who are acquainted with the gentle persuasions which those in authority are in the habit of using towards any public journal whose statements or views, may happen to be inconvenient, will romember the usual process of correction adopted, It generally assumes the form of either a direct notification from the Minister of the Interior to the offending parties, or of a. semi-official paragraph in tlie Moniteur, in something like the following terms : — " It has been observed with regret that theEditoisof certain public journals, actuated by a desire to embarrass the Government, are in the habit of making statements and expressing opinions thereon which have no valid foundation. Not taking the trouble to inform themselves correctly as to the actions and intentions of the Government, they prefer to circulate canards, and thus attempt to undermine the cdnfidence of the public in the Administration." Then probably follows a " warning" to the offending joixrnal, which if neglected culminates in suspension. Our readers may probably wonder what possible object we can have in referring to the regime under which the press of Paris is placed. We will tell them : — ln our last issue we took occasion to comment upon what we considered to be the very unfair treatment which the Borough Council of Greymouth had received at the hands of the County Chairman, basing our remarks upon the actual facts of the case, which we gave at the time. It appears that our criticisms have wounded the amanr propre of the County Chairman, who, fired with the desire to emulate the Man cf December (and is not Mr Hoos emphatically the Man of January) has thought fit to send us a telegram— -which, by-the-bye, we notice is oharged to the account of the County Council — of which the following is a copy : — " Your leader yesterday onesided. Inform yourself correctly before writing. Shall contradict any false statements for the future. Telegram to May< r of Greymouth as follows : — ' Vote lapsed ; not sufficient funds ; remaining balance will be placed on new Estimates, to be paid early after same are passed. ' You iv honor will correct yourself." It may be imagined that the receipt of this telegram was sufficient to put us into a state of mind which, for want of a more euphonious and equally forcible term, we will denominate ' ' f link," and it was with feelings of trepidation that we " infonne 1 ourselves" of the particulars contained in our last leading article, fearing lest we might have stood reason why we should in honor correct ourselves. But imagine our utter astonishment at finding that what we did say was exactly the same, only in slightly different language, what Mr Hoos bays in his telegram ! We said that Mr Hoos, not being able to pay the balance due to the Corporation before the termination of the financial six months, had intimated that the vote had " lapsed," but would be placed again upon the new Estimates. • And all we had to remark upon this was that the money ought to have been paid long since, and that the unp?»id balance was a "liability" and did not need to be revoted. Tc those opinions we adhere still, in. spite oi such a formidable correction as the Chairman's telegram, or of the threat that, foi the future, that illustrious performer on the alack wire will contradict false statements. The Grey Rives. Abous is not ir the habit of publishing false information^ and if a,t any time it inadvertently shoulc do so it is always- prompt to make th< amende hoiwable. In the instance callec in question by Mr Hoos bis statement is an exact c- irroboration of our own, anc reduces, his tulegnuu to nothing more tha.\

a gross impertinence, decidedly not worth the money it oost the public. A good round rating, oven a threat of ulterior consequences, if we were not more tender towards him, would be at least intelligible, and nut altogether ridiculous ; but such an effusion as the one we have received is absolutely absurd, and forms a fitting addition to the many other absurdities of which Mr Hoos has been guilty. When he retires from his exalted station, we would suggest, as a fitting souvenir, that he be presented with a richly-bound copy of his multitudinous telegrams. With its emblazoned title of Oeuvre Teleyraphique it would form a lasting memorial of his genius, aud becomingly adorri the public library of his native vill«\ge in Vaterland, the inhabitants, of which no doubt will continually regret that the illustrious author should ha,ve deprived his country of his transcendant statesmanlike abilities. And in that regret they will not be alone. Germany little knows what it has lost in losing Conrad Hoos,